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review
£5.90
VERDICT:
Top end for performance, comfort and durability, yet budget level pricing
So comfortable
Well positioned venting helps keep you dry
Hardwearing
Not quite thick enough for winter on their own
Weight:
51g
Contact:
This product has been selected to feature in road.cc recommends. That means it's not just scored well, but we think it stands out as special. Go to road.cc recommends
At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.
What the road.cc scores meanGood scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.
- Exceptional
- Excellent
- Very Good
- Good
- Quite good
- Average
- Not so good
- Poor
- Bad
- Appalling
The Ardennes Socks from Galibier are super soft and cosy enough for everything but the coldest winter ride. They come in a range of colours too.
The Ardennes are some of the most comfortable socks I have every worn. The material is really soft, and they just feel lovely when you pull them on.
I've done some long rides in them too – including 4-5 hour gravel rides with the odd bit of walking thrown in for good measure. The lack of irritating seams means that comfort is always high, and you basically don't even notice you're wearing them.
The footbed is slightly thicker than the rest of the sock, which adds comfort, and the toe and heel sections are reinforced to increase durability.
The upper section is more like a summer sock with a light knit and mesh panels for ventilation. They can be a little chilly for full-on winter use if you aren't using overshoes, but for the rest of the year – especially spring and autumn – they're great for regulating temperature.
> 24 of the best performance road cycling shoes - get faster with light, stiff shoes
The Ardennes are available in light blue, yellow, white and black. I've been using two pairs of yellow and a blue which, due to the nature of the riding at the moment, have been getting pretty dirty on most rides. They consistently come up spotless in the wash, though.
The price of just £5.90 is also very impressive. Competition wise, the nologo Orange Cycling Socks are £10.87 and Nick wasn't exactly blown away, saying the material is not especially soft.
The La Passione Duo socks scored well in all categories, but they are over double the price of the Galibiers.
Overall
I appreciate it can be difficult to get excited about a pair of socks, but these put a smile on my face every time I slide them onto my feet. They're excellent – yet still cheaper than almost all others.
Verdict
Top end for performance, comfort and durability, yet budget level pricing
road.cc test report
Make and model: Galibier Ardennes socks
Size tested: Large
Tell us what the product is for
Galibier says, "Our Ardennes socks are the perfect mid-season sock. Slightly thicker footbed for comfort with a full summer sock uppers. Ready for as many 30 degree machine washes as you can throw at them."
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Galibier says:
The heel and toe, areas of high wear, are constructed from a durable fabric, while the footbed uses a lightweight yarn that wicks sweat away from the skin.
Pro performance socks for road/mtb or cyclocross riding, in an long length for style and warmth.
Rate the product for quality of construction:
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
10/10
Rate the product for durability:
8/10
Rate the product for fit:
9/10
Rate the product for sizing:
9/10
They are available in four sizes and Galibier's size guide is spot on.
Rate the product for weight:
9/10
Rate the product for comfort:
10/10
Rate the product for value:
8/10
How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?
All three pairs have been washed countless times and are still the same size and shape they started as.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
They just feel so natural against your skin.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Beautifully comfortable.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Nothing really.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
The price is frankly very impressive compared to the huge amount of socks we've tested. Even against some of the best value options, the Ardennes win by a huge margin.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
Excellently-made socks that work near year-round, offer loads of comfort and cost very little.
About the tester
Age: 42
I usually ride: This month's test bike My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,
Since writing his first bike review for road.cc back in early 2009 senior product reviewer Stu has tested more than a thousand pieces of kit, and hundreds of bikes.
With an HND in mechanical engineering and previous roles as a CNC programmer/machinist, draughtsman and development engineer (working in new product design) Stu understands what it takes to bring a product to market. A mix of that knowledge combined with his love of road and gravel cycling puts him in the ideal position to put the latest kit through its paces.
He first made the switch to road cycling in 1999, primarily for fitness, but it didn’t take long for his competitive side to take over which led to around ten years as a time triallist and some pretty decent results. These days though riding is more about escapism, keeping the weight off and just enjoying the fact that he gets to ride the latest technology as part of his day job.
Latest Comments
- Mr Blackbird 18 sec ago
Incidently, when time trialling was introduced in the UK in the 1840s, it led to the decline of the stovepipe hat; sad as it was a splendid look.
- Rendel Harris 37 min 20 sec ago
Difficult to say without knowing your budget or intended use but I did happen to notice yesterday that Sigma Sports have some substantial...
- Hirsute 42 min 41 sec ago
Ferry recently replaced orginally had 110 spaces but due to the size of cars it could only fit 90, hence in part the new ferry....
- Blackthorne 43 min 44 sec ago
It's mentioned in benefit #2 in the article...
- levestane 56 min 1 sec ago
Pneu ballon and hookless rims are back, I still have some 27" Birmalux rims in the shed somewhere.
- brooksby 2 hours 44 min ago
Well yes, but it is the holidays
- Bigtwin 3 hours 15 min ago
I have the gross misfortune to live on her "patch". The state of roads policing (and the actual roads) and consequent danger everytime one gets on...
- Rendel Harris 3 hours 56 min ago
Thank you for that excellent forensic analysis, I couldn't figure out where I'd gone wrong! Must drink more coffee and put on glasses before trying...
- Cugel 5 hours 4 min ago
Strangely, I've ridden all of those roads/routes you describe (and a lot more in Noerthern England) entirely without a gizmo of any kind, other...
- ktache 5 hours 36 min ago
Effective little things. Even have them on my Good Bike, my least reflectored. Still working through packs of them I got very cheap at Tesco.
Add new comment
4 comments
Given the blurb on the Galibier website says they're a summer sock, it seems a bit harsh to mark them down for not being warm enough for winter!
We have several pairs in my household and they're fantastic. Soft, comfortable and they come up soft and comfortable after washing. Highly recommended.
Agree, have their yellow socks from the spring and still look and feel mighty after full summer and winter use.
Galibier FIRE FEET 2 are galibier's winter socks
I got a pair of these as a free gift in my last order from them - assumed they were summer weight as they were so soft - must dig them out now!